Diagnostic Ultrasound System with Articulating Flat Panel Display

ABSTRACT

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system includes a flat panel display for viewing images produced by the ultrasound system. The flat panel display is mounted to the ultrasound system by an articulating arm assembly having a lower arm with a fixed elevation pivotally connected to the ultrasound system and an upper arm pivotally connected to the lower arm at one end and pivotally connected to the flat panel display at the other end. The upper arm includes a 4-bar linkage which enables the flat panel display to be raised and lowered, and a pneumatic piston which provides a counter-weight to the weight of the flat panel display.

This invention relates to medical diagnostic imaging systems and, inparticular, to ultrasonic diagnostic imaging systems with flat paneldisplays that can be easily positioned for viewing by a user.

Ultrasound systems are now being designed to be more ergonomicallycomfortable for the user to operate. Often, the ultrasound system iswheeled to the patient's bedside for imaging. The sonographer must thenbe able to hold the probe in contact with the patient while operatingthe ultrasound system controls and viewing the images produced on thesystem image display. To enable the sonographer to assume a comfortableposition while doing this, one which is primarily focused on thepatient, it is desirable for the system controls and display to bemovable to a comfortable operating and viewing position. For instance,U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,639 (Miller et al.) describes the ultrasound systemshown in FIG. 1. The display monitor 20 of this system is mounted on a2-arm articulating mount 30 on the upper surface of the system cart 12,which enables the monitor to be moved from side to side of theultrasound system cart and to be rotated toward the sonographer orpatient for easy viewing. U.S. patent [application Ser. No. 10/155,459,entitled “DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND SYSTEM CART WITH LATERALLY ARTICULATINGCONTROL PANEL,”] describes the ultrasound system shown in FIG. 2, whichuses a flat panel display 16 mounted at a nominal position above thesystem control panel 18. The control panel 18 of this system can movefrom one side of the system cart to the other and can rotate or swiveltoward the sonographer for comfortable bedside operation. It would bedesirable for the flat panel display 16 to be similarly movable to acomfortable viewing position. An optimal design would enable the display16 to be positioned over a wide range of lateral viewing positions andheights, and to be easy for the sonographer to reposition with one hand.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention an ultrasoundsystem is described with a flat panel display that articulates to beviewed over a wide range of viewing positions. The articulation isprovided by a 2-arm articulation system with a counter-weight assisted4-bar linkage. The counter-weight assist and the 4-bar linkage requirevery little effort to reposition the display to a comfortable viewingposition. The flat panel display has a peripheral gripping surface whichenables the display to be held and repositioned with one hand so thatthe display can be easily adjusted to be viewable by either thesonographer or the patient.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cart-borne ultrasound with an articulating monitor.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cart-borne ultrasound system with a flat paneldisplay and an articulating control panel.

FIG. 3 illustrates an articulating flat panel display for an ultrasoundsystem constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 are forward and rearward perspective views of an articulatingflat panel display of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flat panel display with a peripheral grippingsurface for articulation.

FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway view of the flat panel display of FIG. 5,showing the back gripping surface.

FIGS. 7 a and 7 b are cross-sectional views of the flat panel display ofFIG. 5.

FIGS. 8 a, 8 b and 8 c illustrate an articulating flat panel display ofthe present invention in the raised, nominal, and stowed positions.

FIG. 9 illustrates the range of articulation of an articulating flatpanel display of the present invention in a vertical plane.

FIGS. 10 a, 10 b, and 10 c illustrate the lateral range of articulationof an articulating flat panel display of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an illustration of a number of laterally articulatedpositions of an articulating flat panel display of the presentinvention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a cart-borne ultrasound system of the presentinvention with a laterally articulating control panel and anarticulating flat panel display.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an articulating flat panel display assemblyconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present inventionis shown. The flat panel display 40 has a viewing screen 42 which isenclosed in an enclosure having a front bezel 44 which surrounds theedges of the display in the front and a rear enclosure section 46. Thefront bezel 44 and the periphery of the rear enclosure section 46include gripping surfaces by which a user can grip the flat paneldisplay to adjust its position. The flat panel display 40 is mounted tothe ultrasound system by an articulating arm assembly 50. The lower armor main base 52 has a mounting end 60 which is mounted to the ultrasoundsystem. The main base 52 is pivotally mounted to the ultrasound systemto pivot about a vertical pivot axis extending through the mounting end60. The mounting end 60 encloses a circular mounting bracket with atooth that rides in a circular slot inside the mounting end 60. Thecircular slot extends only halfway around the pivot axis of the mountingend and thereby restrains the range of pivoting of the mounting end to180°. It is desirable to prevent continuous unlimited rotation of thelower arm because the cables to the flat panel display extend throughthe articulating arms. Continuous rotation of the arms would cause thesecables to become twisted and ultimately to be damaged.

The main base 52 of the articulating arm assembly 50 is angled upward ata fixed angle of approximately 25°. This upward angling of the main base52 provides elevation for the upper arm and flat panel above the uppersurface of the ultrasound system. This elevation provides clearanceabove parts or accessories of the system that may be located above orplaced on the upper surface of the system. The elevation also raises theupper arm to a level where it will locate the flat panel display in anominal, neutrally balanced viewing position when the upper arm isoriented horizontally.

The upper end 62 of the main base 52 mates with the elbow 64 of theupper arm 54. The elbow 64 and upper end 62 are pivotally connected sothat the elbow joint will pivot about a second vertical axis. The upperend 62 of the main base includes a pin which rides in a groove in theinner sleeve of the elbow. The pin and groove of this pivotingconnection function in the same manner as the tooth and circular slot ofthe mounting end 60, allowing the two arms to rotate through a limitedarc of the circular 180° groove. The elbow rotation is thus preventedfrom unlimited rotation which could damage the flat panel cables.

The upper arm 54 includes a 4-bar linkage 70. The four bars 72, 74, 76and 78 of the linkage 70 are pivotally connected by pivot pins a and b athe forward end of the arm 54 and by pivot pins c and d at the elbow endof the arm. The 4-bar linkage 70 enables the flat panel display to beraised and lowered with respect to the elbow 64. When the upper arm 54is viewed from the side, the ends of the pivot pins a, b, c, and d willalways form a parallelogram as the linkage is articulated up and down.The two upper bars 72 and 74 of the linkage 70 are in this embodimentformed by the two sides of a U-shaped steel plate. The use of the steelplate for the two upper bars provide strength and rigidity between thetwo bars. The two lower bars 76 and 78 in this embodiment are formed byseparate bars which are connected by ribs 82 for strength and rigiditybetween the lower bars.

Contained within the four bars of the 4-bar linkage 70, in addition tothe cabling to the flat panel display, is a pneumatic shock or piston56. The compressive force of the piston 56 provides a counter-weight tothe weight of the flat panel display. The pneumatic piston 56 ispivotally connected to a tilt/swivel base 102 at one end of the upperarm 54, and is also pivotally connected to the elbow 64 at the other endof the upper arm 54. The pivot connection at the elbow 64 is mounted ona threaded shaft vertically positioned in the elbow 64. A hole 66 in theelbow 64 provides access to the hex-shaped head of the threaded shaft.As the threaded shaft is turned the pivot connection of the pneumaticpiston will move up or down in relation to the c and d pivots of the4-bar linkage. This repositioning of the elbow end of the piston willincrease or decrease the tension or stiffness of the force provided bythe piston. When the piston force is made stiffer, the user will have touse more force to move the flat panel display down and less force tomove the display up. When the piston force is made less stiff, the userwill be able to use less force to move the display down and more forceto move the display up.

The tilt/swivel base 102 is pivotally connected to a tilt/swivel bracket104. This connection permits the bracket 104 to rotate about a verticalaxis passing through the base 102 and bracket 104, enabling the flatpanel display to be turned from side to side without repositioning thearticulating arm assembly 50. The tilt/swivel bracket 104 is pivotallymounted to the rear enclosure 46 of the flat panel display by a pivotconnection 106 which pivots around a horizontal pivot axis. This pivotaxis permits the flat panel display to be tilted to face upward ordownward without moving the articulating arm assembly.

Extending downward from the bottom of the upper articulating arm 54 is acatch plate 92. The catch plate 92 will engage a spring-loaded lockplate 94 in the lower arm 52 when the two arms are brought together. Thecatch plate 92 will contact a spring-loaded ball which is partiallyvisible to the right of the lock plate 94 when the lock is open, whichcauses the lock plate 94 to spring to the right and retain the catchplate 92. A lock release 96 on the bottom of the lower arm will thenmove to the locked position. The two arms will remain locked togetheruntil the lock release 96 is moved to the unlock position, which movesthe lock plate 94 to the left and releases the engaged catch plate 92.The two arms are locked together to secure the articulating display andprevent articulation when the ultrasound system is being moved ortransported.

FIG. 4 a is a perspective view of the articulating flat panel displaywhen the 4-bar linkage upper arm 54 is raised above the horizontal toelevate the display to a higher viewing position. FIG. 4 b is a view ofthe same positioning of the articulating display from the rear of theflat panel display. As the arrows in FIG. 4 b indicate, the flat paneldisplay can be repositioned horizontally by operation of the verticalaxis pivots of the assembly, and the flat panel display can be movedvertically by movement of the bars of the 4-bar linkage 70.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of a flat panel display embodying a furtheraspect of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the monitor 20 of thesystem 10 there shown with a handle 100 on the front of the monitor. Themonitor can be repositioned by grasping the handle to move the monitor.A flat panel display, lacking the weight of the glass of a displaymonitor, does not require a repositioning means as robust as a handle.In the embodiment of FIG. 5 the bezel 44 around the front of the displayscreen 42 has a surface designed to be gripped by the user's thumb whenrepositioning the flat panel display. This gripping surface can beprovided by forming the front bezel 44 of a silicon or rubber-likematerial. In a constructed embodiment the gripping surface is formed bycoating a bezel formed of hard plastic with a thermoplastic elastomericcoating such as a Sanopreen overmold or Soft-touch spray coatingavailable from Also Corp. of Vermon, Calif., USA. FIG. 6 is a partiallycutaway perspective view of the flat panel display 40 which betterillustrates the curvature of the bezel 44 which provides a contouredsurface that can be gripped firmly with the user's thumb withoutslipping. Also visible in the cutaway view is the periphery of the rearenclosure section 46 which also contains a gripping surface for theuser's fingers. This gripping surface is provided by the texturing ofthe surface of the periphery of the section 46. In this case thetexturing is provided by perforations 48 through the section 46. Theseperforations not only provide a good gripping surface on the backperiphery of the flat panel display, but also provide ventilation of theflat panel enclosure. FIG. 7 a is a cross-sectional view of the flatpanel display which shows the contour of the bezel 44 on the front andthe perforations 48 around the rear periphery of the display. FIG. 7 bis a simplification of FIG. 7 a which clearly shows the contouredgripping surface 44 on the front of the flat panel display and theperforated gripping surface 48 on the rear enclosure section 46. Oneskilled in the art will appreciate that texturing other thanperforations may be employed, such as grooves, protrusions, or aroughened surface for gripping.

FIGS. 8 a-8 c illustrate several vertical articulation positions of anembodiment of the present invention. In a constructed embodiment thesurface 100 of the ultrasound system on which the articulating flatpanel display is mounted is at a height relative to the control panelsuch that a nominal display position is provided when the upper arm 54is horizontally oriented as shown in FIG. 8 b. The threaded adjustmentof the piston 56 is set so that the piston force will offset the weightof the upper arm 54 and the flat panel 40 when the upper arm 54 is inthis horizontal position. The upper arm 54 can then be raised andlowered from this nominal position as indicated by the arrows in thedrawing, with the piston force continuously providing a balancingcounter-weight force. This is due to the use of the 4-bar linkage 70 andthe pneumatic shock 56 for the upper arm 54. If the 4-bar linkage werelocated in the lower arm 52, for instance, there would be a greaterdisparity between the force required to raise the display and the forcerequired to lower the display. By locating the 4-bar linkage and pistonin the upper arm 54, these forces can be more uniformly balanced.

FIG. 8 c shows the articulating arm assembly when the flat panel displayis stowed for travel. The upper arm 54 is lowered as indicated by thearrow until the catch plate 92 engages the lock plate 94, which causesthe lock to engage and retain the two arms in the illustrated stowedposition.

FIG. 9 illustrates the range 110 of locations in a vertical plane whichthe flat panel display 40 can assume by use of the articulating armassembly of FIG. 3. As the arrows indicate the display 40 can movevertically up or down by reason of the articulation of the 4-bar linkage70 of the upper arm 54. When the articulating arms are pivoted abouttheir vertical pivot axes, the flat panel display can be repositionedfrom side to side as indicated by the arrows on either side of thedisplay 40.

FIGS. 10 a-10 c illustrate the lateral articulation provided by thevertical pivot axes of the embodiment of FIG. 3. The pivot axis 122passes through the mounting end 60 of the lower arm 52, the pivot axis124 passes through the elbow 64 of the articulating arms, and the pivotaxis 126 passes through the tilt/swivel base 102 at the back of the flatpanel display 40. As explained previously, the pivoting of the lower arm52 about the axis 122 is constrained to 180° as shown by arrows 152. Thepivoting of the upper arm 54 about the axis 124 is also constrained to180° as shown by the arrows 154. The flat panel display 40 can pivotover the full range about the end of the upper arm 54 as shown by thearrows 156. In FIG. 10 a the lower arm 52 is in its “home” position inwhich it extends to the rear of the ultrasound system and the upper arm54 has been pivoted 90° to the right. The flat panel display has beenpivoted about axis 126 to face forward. This, and the orientations ofthe other two drawings on this sheet, show how the flat panel displaymay be positioned when the sonographer is diagnosing a patient locatedon the right side of the ultrasound system. In FIG. 10 b the flat paneldisplay has been brought forward and slightly more to the right bypivoting the lower arm 52 about axis 122 and adjusting the flat paneldisplay about axis 126. In FIG. 10 c the flat panel display is movedtoward the center of the ultrasound system by movement about all threeaxes from the position shown in FIG. 10 b.

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the present invention with a wide rangeof lateral display positions. Shown in bold in the center of FIG. 11 isa flat panel display 40 and articulating arm assembly 50 with their armsin the nominal home position. The display screen is facing to the frontof the ultrasound system, the lower articulating arm extends toward therear of the ultrasound system and the upper articulating arm extendsfrom the elbow with the lower arm at the rear to the front of theultrasound system. Shown in shadow are many of the positions around themounting point of the articulating arm assembly in which the flat paneldisplay can be located. As the positions at the top of the drawingillustrate, the flat panel display can even be moved to face to the rearof the ultrasound system, should that become desirable.

FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in which theultrasound system has both an articulating flat panel display 40 and anarticulating control panel 18, both of which can be repositionedlaterally with respect to the main body 12 of the ultrasound systemcart. The flat panel display may be articulated as described in any ofthe articulating arm embodiments described above, or by means of otherarticulating mechanisms. The control panel 18 may be articulatedlaterally such as described in U.S. patent [application Ser. No.10/155,459], the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.With the ability to articulate both the flat panel display 40 and thecontrol panel, the sonographer can configure the ultrasound system toscan a patient in the utmost of comfort and convenience.

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system including a main body housingimaging electronics and a control panel coupled to the imagingelectronics comprising: a flat panel display electrically coupled to theimaging electronics; and an articulating arm assembly to which the flatpanel display is connected for adjusting the viewing position of theflat panel display, the articulating arm assembly including a first armmovably mounted to the main body and a second arm movably connected tothe first-arm and to the flat panel display, wherein at least one of thearms includes a 4-bar linkage.
 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic imagingsystem of claim 1, further comprising a wheeled cart on which the mainbody is mounted.
 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1,wherein the second arm includes a 4-bar linkage.
 4. The ultrasonicdiagnostic imaging system of claim 3, wherein the 4-bar linkage includesfirst and second pivot axes located at an end of the second arm which isconnected to the first arm, and third and fourth pivot axes located atan end of the second arm which is connected to the flat panel display.5. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1, furthercomprising an inter-arm locking mechanism, located on the first andsecond arms, which acts to lock the two arms together, therebyrestricting relative motion between the two arms.
 6. The ultrasonicdiagnostic imaging system of claim 5, wherein the locking mechanismfurther comprises a user-operated lock release which is operated tocause the locking of the two arms to be released.
 7. The ultrasonicdiagnostic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the articulating armassembly further includes a first vertical pivot axis located at an endof the first arm which is movably mounted to the first body, and asecond vertical pivot axis located at an end of the first arm which isconnected to the second arm.
 8. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging systemof claim 7, wherein the articulating arm assembly further includes athird vertical pivot axis located at an end of the second arm which isconnected to the flat panel display, and a horizontal pivot axis locatedat the end of the second arm which is connected to the flat paneldisplay.
 9. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 7, whereinthe arc of travel of the first arm about the first vertical pivot axisis constrained to be less than 360°, and wherein the arc of travel ofthe second arm about the second vertical axis is constrained to be lessthan 360°.
 10. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1,wherein the second arm includes a 4-bar linkage, and wherein the secondarm further includes: a pneumatic piston which acts to provide a forcewhich at least partially offsets the weight of the flat panel display.11. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 10, furthercomprising an adjustment mechanism, coupled to the pneumatic piston,which is operable to adjust the force provided by the pneumatic piston.12. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 11, wherein thepneumatic piston is adjusted to provide a balancing counter-weight forcewhen the second arm is oriented in a horizontal orientation.
 13. Theultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the first armexhibits a fixed upward inclination from an end which is connected tothe main body to a second end which is elevated above the connection tothe main body, and the second arm includes a 4-bar linkage.
 14. Theultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 3, wherein the 4-barlinkage includes first and second upper bars coupled between the firstand third pivot axes and third and fourth lower bars coupled between thesecond and fourth pivot axes, wherein the first bar is rigidly connectedto the second bar and the third bar is rigidly connected to the fourthbar.
 15. An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system having a main bodyhousing imaging electronics comprising: a flat panel displayelectrically coupled to the imaging electronics; and an articulating armassembly coupled to the flat panel display to enable repositioning ofthe flat panel display, the articulating arm assembly including: a firstarm exhibiting a fixed inclination from a first mounting end and asecond joint end; and a second arm exhibiting a variable inclinationfrom a first end which is coupled to the second joint end of the firstarm, and a second end which is coupled to the flat panel display. 16.The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 15, wherein the secondarm includes a 4-bar linkage which provides the second arm with thevariable inclination.
 17. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system ofclaim 15, further comprising a first pivot axis located at the firstmounting end of the first arm; a second pivot axis located at the secondjoint end of the first arm, and a third pivot axis located at the secondend of the second arm.
 18. An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging systemincluding a wheeled cart and a main body housing imaging electronics andlocated on the wheeled cart comprising: a control panel located on thewheeled cart and electrically connected to the imaging electronics, thecontrol panel being laterally articulable; a flat panel displayelectrically coupled to the imaging electronics; and an articulationmechanism, having a mounting end coupled to the wheeled cart or mainbody and a second end coupled to the flat panel display, and operable tolaterally reposition the viewing position of the flat panel display. 19.The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 18, wherein thearticulating mechanism includes first and second articulating arms, atleast one of which includes a 4-bar linkage.
 20. The ultrasonicdiagnostic imaging system of claim 18, wherein the articulationmechanism further includes a plurality of vertical pivot axes whichenable lateral articulation of the flat panel display, and a 4-barlinkage which enables vertical articulation of the flat panel display.